City of Puno

The city of Puno is the epicenter of one of the most important festivals of Peru, we are talking about: the Feast of the Virgin of Candelaria, also houses colonial churches, temples and very important natural viewpoints of the Andean region.

• Altitude
• Best season
• Most important dates
• How to get there?
  • By car
  • Bus
  • Plane
    • How to get to the city of Puno from the airport?
• Most surprising tourist sites
  • Main Square of Puno
  • The Cathedral of Puno
  • Balcony of the Count of Lemos
  • Carlos Dreyer Museum
  • Temple of San Juan
  • The House of the Corregidor
  • Viewpoints of the City of Puno
  • Deústua Arch
  • Chincheros Farm

At what altitude is Puno?

The city of Puno is located at 3,927 m.a.s.l., being the lowest of all the province of Puno.

What is the best season to visit Puno?

In Puno and in other regions of the Peruvian Highlands there are 2 very important seasons: the Rainy Season and the Dry Season or High Season.

In the Rainy Season (from December to March), you will find warm and humid days, it is not as cold as in the rest of the year. Daytime temperatures in this season range from 13°C and 20°C and, at night, between 3°C and 7°C. The rainiest months are July and August.

Although in this season you will find many rainy days there are also quite sunny days and you will find hills and mountains of a beautiful green color. I suggest you start your visit to the scenic places from 10:00 am, as you will find the skies clearer and you can enjoy your stay in Puno during the rainy season. Also, in this season you will find lower prices in tours, accommodations, restaurants, among others, since Puno is not so crowded in those months of the year.

In the Dry Season (from April to November) you will find quite hot days, clear and sunny, but at night the days are very cold, because in this season frosts are formed (freezing water) and the temperature can reach below 0. The daytime temperature in this season ranges between 15°C and 25°C and at night between 0°C and 7°C.

The advantages of this season is that you will find many options for tours, accommodations and restaurants, but being a high season you will find many travelers and some merchants tend to raise the prices of their services and products due to the high demand.

What are the most important and crowded dates in Puno?

I recommend visiting Puno during the first days of February, since during these dates one of the most expected and important festivities in Peru is celebrated: the Feast of the Virgin of Candelaria, where the city of Puno and communities throughout the region of Puno are dressed in colors and the streets are filled with parties, so you will know Puno in its most fun and joyful version.

So, based on this information you can decide the season that suits you best. Have a good trip!

How to get to Puno?

By car

I think traveling by car is the most convenient option if you want to have privacy and travel alone with your family, in case you do not have a car a good option is to rent one and get to Puno quietly, you can also reach several of the tourist destinations in Puno by road, so you would save on tourist service.

From Lima to Puno by private road you will travel 1300 km and arrive in Puno in about 19 hours. You can make a stopover and visit other tourist places in southern Peru. In addition, you can travel to Puno from Cusco, Arequipa and Ayacucho, by car you can make a very good route throughout Peru.

By bus

You will find many transportation agencies that go daily to the city of Puno from Lima, some of them are: Cruz del Sur, Movil tours, Oltursa, Flores, Wari Palomino, ExcluCiva, Civa, Andoriña, Tepsa, Romeliza, among others. Prices vary according to the agencies and the amenities they offer. The average price ranges from S/. 80 to 100 soles ( USD 20 to 27 dollars) per person per way. If you buy the tickets 1 month in advance you will find prices from S/. 65 soles (USD 18 dollars) per person. I suggest that you make the trip at night so you can rest on the bus and take advantage to start the day in Puno.

The distance from Lima to Puno by bus is 1350 km and you will arrive in Puno between 18 to 20 hours, without stops (you will travel: Lima, Ica and Arequipa).

The cab fare from the Terminal Terrestre de Puno is approximately between S/. 9 to 12 soles (USD 2.5 to 3 dollars) the price is not very high since the price of cab service is relatively cheaper than in Lima.

Remember that you can also get to Puno from Cusco, Arequipa and Ayacucho, as they are neighboring provinces and the travel time is less than 6 hours.

By plane

Going by plane from Lima to the city of Puno is a highly recommended option if you have little time for this tourist destination or simply do not feel comfortable traveling by car or bus for many hours.

The airlines that go from Lima to Juliaca (district near the city of Puno) today are: Sky Airlines and Latam Airlines. You can find air tickets from S/. 130 soles (USD 35 dollars) per person one way, but everything will depend on the season in which you buy your tickets and the time in advance with which you do it. In the season of the Feast of the Virgin of Candelaria prices rise considerably, so if you want to visit Puno in that season I suggest you buy your plane tickets in advance.

Another suggestion, when you do your searches on the airlines’ websites, put JULIACA as your destination and not PUNO, since the airport of the Province of Puno is located in the district of Juliaca, a district adjacent to the city of Puno.

You will arrive in Juliaca in less than 2 hours at the airport of Puno (Inca Manco Capac).

How do I get to the city of Puno from the airport?

First option: inside the airport (just before the departure gate) there is an IPerú booth, this booth provides official tourist information about Puno, so here you can purchase certified mobility to reach the city of Puno, the cost of the ticket is between S/. 15 to 20 soles ( USD 4 to 6 dollars) per person and you will reach the city of Puno in less than 1 hour. In this case they take a little time to arrive, so you have to request it 20 minutes in advance.

Second Option: in the airport parking lot you will also find several certified cab drivers offering mobility services. The prices are usually higher compared to the prices of cab drivers outside the airport. The cost of the fare is between S/. 20 to 25 soles (USD 5 to 6 dollars) per person and you will arrive in less than 1 hour to the city of Puno.

Third option: take a cab or a mototaxi (3-wheel motorcycle) to the city of Puno from outside the airport (public road), the amount of the fare is between S/. 5 to 10 soles (USD 1 to 3 dollars) per person.

View of the City of Puno

What places to visit in the city of Puno?

In the city of Puno you will find many tourist attractions. Here I show you 9 of the most amazing attractions of the city of Puno:

1.- Main Square of Puno.

The Main Square of Puno, built between 1870 and 1890, is a busy place for the citizens of Puno and witness of festivals and cultural events, among them, the colorful and one of the biggest celebrations of the Andean region: the Festival of the Virgin of Candelaria. In this famous festival there are musical bands and dancers from all over Peru, who surround the Plaza de Armas and surrounding streets performing multiple parades. In the center of the Plaza de Armas of Puno you will find a fountain made in France, similar to the fountain found in the Plaza Mayor of Arequipa.

2.- The Cathedral of Puno

About 100 meters from the Plaza de Armas of Puno is the Cathedral of Puno, also known as the Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo, this square was built in the 17th century and is considered Cultural Heritage of the Nation by UNESCO since 1972.

The Cathedral of Puno has a mestizo baroque style, according to historians, its style was a strategy of the Spanish colonizers of that time to evangelize the inhabitants of Puno through images representative of the Andean culture (pumas, birds, flowers and mermaids with instruments), images that you can find on the facade of the cathedral.

Entrance hours

Monday to Friday: 8:00 am to 12:00 pm/3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

Saturdays: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm/3:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Sundays: 8:00 am to 12:00 pm/3:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Free entrance.

3.-Balcony of the Count of Lemos

One block from the Plaza de Armas of Puno you will find the Balcony of the Count of Lemos, which is located in a 2-story house of adobe and wood, built in the late first half of the 17th century, which housed the Viceroy of Conde de Lemos, recognized character of colonial times. The balcony is recognized as the oldest in the province of Puno, that is why it is considered Cultural Heritage of the Nation by UNESCO.

In the same house of the Balcony of the Count of Lemos, is the National Institute of Culture of Puno, where you can find an art gallery, where works of art and handicrafts of various Puno and national artists are exhibited. If you are interested in art, you can visit this gallery.

Address: Jirón Deústua # 630

The entrance hours to the National Institute of Culture of Puno are as follows:

Monday to Friday: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Saturdays and Sundays: closed

Free admission.

4.- Carlos Dreyer Museum

This museum has nothing to envy to other museums in Peru, it was also declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation by UNESCO in 1980 and is recognized for being the most important museum in southern Peru because it has more than 500 pieces of gold, called “treasures of Sillustani”, extracted from the Sillustani Archaeological Complex, also known as “Chulpas de Sillustani”. It also has a replica of the Chullpa of the Lizard.

This impressive museum has no more and no less than 8 rooms in which they exhibit objects and pieces of Pre-Inca and Inca cultures , oil paintings on canvas by the painter Carlos Dreyer, textiles, sculptures, mummies and more.

A jewel! In short, we recommend a visit to this great museum of the Altiplano.

Address: Calle Conde de Lemos 289, Puno

Entrance fee: 5 soles per person

Admission hours: Monday to Saturday: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. Sundays: closed

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MUSEOCARLOSDREYER/

5.- San Juan Temple – Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Candelaria

The Temple of San Juan is one of the most crowded in the Festivity of the Virgin of the Candelaria, since in its interior is nothing more and nothing less than the venerated image of the Patroness of Puno, the Virgin of the Candelaria.

The Temple of San Juan has a republican style and its construction began in 1669, inside it has 3 altars in Gothic style and on the main altar you can see the Virgin of Candelaria, in addition you can also see religious paintings and more than 100 embroidered cloaks that were gifts from the devotees of the Virgin of Candelaria, which uses every February each year when exhibited by the city of Puno on his feast.

I remember that I visited Puno in the middle of the festival and in order to take a picture with the image of the Virgen de la Candelaria I had to wait in a long line of people for more than 15 minutes, but it was worth it is an experience like no other.

Address: Calle Santiago Giraldo 224, Puno.

6.- The House of the Corregidor

The Casa del Corregidor is located very close to the Plaza de Armas of Puno. It is one of the oldest mansions in the city of Puno and was declared a Historic Monument of Colonial Domestic Architecture of the 17th century in 1980.

This place is a work of art. There you can find a stone staircase, a patio made of carved stones, a unique terrace in the city and also has a small library.

In the Casa del Corregidor you will find a Cafeteria very popular among citizens and travelers, this cafeteria has an eighties style, is quite cozy, has live music and its coffee is well known in Puno and Peru for its great taste.

Address: Jirón Deústua 576, Puno

Opening hours

Monday to Sunday: 7:30 am to 9:30 pm

Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/lacasadelcorregidorcafebar

7.-Viewpoints of the City of Puno: Puno at your feet

About ten minutes from the Plaza de Armas of Puno you can find the paths to visit the viewpoints of the city, you can do it on foot, hire a tour that takes you and your companions to the viewpoints or, also, take a cab from the square. The viewpoints of the city of Puno are three: Kuntur Wasi, Cerro Huajsapata and Puma Uta.

We suggest you visit the viewpoints of Puno both day and night, as the views you will have of the city of Puno are different, day you will appreciate the mountains and vegetation that borders the city puneña, at night the city will become a sky full of stars, the lights of the city look great!

Suggestions:

For your visit to the viewpoints of the city of Puno, I suggest you wear light clothing, as some roads are long and walking shoes. Remember that some soils are stony and sandy, footwear can save you from a good slip or fall.

8.- Deústua Arch

The Deustua Arch is a monument made of carved stone and with side gazebos, through which you can see the city of Puno, was built in 1824 in honor of the Puno people who fought in the Battle of Junin and Ayacucho. This monument has witnessed many cultural, religious and ancestral activities, among them, the famous Festivity of the Virgin of the Candelaria, since the parade that runs through the city of Puno part of the Arco Deústua, so if you want to appreciate the beginning of this famous festival you should go very early to the Arco de Deústua.

At night the Deustua Arch looks very beautiful, as it is usually illuminated as a sign of welcome to travelers visiting the city, also from the arch you have a very good view of the city of Puno.

Location: Jiron Independencia # 415, Puno.

9.-Chincheros Farm

This place is ideal because it combines the comforts of a farmhouse with the tranquility of the Puno highlands. The farm is located about 30 minutes from the city of Puno, you can spend a few hours there or stay there to enjoy a relaxing day.

The way to Fundo Chincheros begins with a walk through a forest of cactus and a walk along the shore of a lake to pass through some ruins of what was once a ceremonial center of the Inca culture and finally give you an explanation of the breeding of camelids of the Andes of Peru .

The great thing about staying in homestays is that you enjoy the comfort of a luxury hotel, but with the connection of the historical and cultural of the place. In addition, Fundo Chincheros has a traditional country restaurant that uses a wood fire to prepare its dishes, which are then served on a terrace with stone tables.

Address: Km. 9 2 Via Puno – Juliaca, Peru, 20 min from Puno.

E-mail: info@fundochincheros.com

Celebration of the Feast of the Virgen de la Candelaria in the City of Puno

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